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Mount Sinai Invites Local Families to Learn About Research Breakthroughs in Mental Illness

Research breakthroughs in mental illness will be among the topics discussed at a Mount Sinai community forum on Saturday, May 1.

New York, NY

– April 30, 2010 /Press Release/ ––

Open conversations about mental illness—including new breakthroughs in treatment—will be the focus of a unique program hosted by The Mount Sinai Medical Center for the first time. Wayne K. Goodman, MD, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and the Esther and Joseph Klingenstein Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, will host the local community forum, giving families the chance to learn more about current research in mental illness and how it may impact them.

Mount Sinai has partnered with the world's leading charity dedicated to mental health research, known as NARSAD, to host the event, which will take place on Saturday, May 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Goldwurm Auditorium, First Floor, 1425 Madison Avenue.

“The treatment landscape for mental illnesses is ever-changing, and it’s important that people know what options are available to them, and what options will be available down the road,” said Dr. Goodman. “Mount Sinai is committed to providing top-notch care, and making sure our patients and their families are educated about what’s happening in research is a crucial part of that care. I hope the families will leave the discussion feeling more informed and empowered to make future treatment decisions with confidence.”

Dr. Goodman will moderate the event and present a talk titled “Deep Brain Stimulation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” Also speaking at the event is Eric J. Nestler, M.D., Ph.D, Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Mount Sinai Friedman Brain Institute, Professor & Chair Neuroscience, and Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Nestler will present “The Biology of Depression.”

"NARSAD has done an extraordinary job in raising awareness of mental illness and in providing crucial support to researchers in the field at early stages in their careers,” said Dr. Nestler. “The result has been an exciting jumpstart in our efforts to better understand and treat mental illness."

Larry J. Siever, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry; Director of the Special Evaluation Program for Mood and Personality Disorders; and Vice-Chair for VA Affairs at Mount Sinai School of Medicine will also present “New Perspectives on Neurobiology of Personality Disorders” at the event this weekend.

NARSAD’s primary mission is to alleviate suffering from mental illness. Toward this goal, the organization raises funds to advance research on the causes, treatment and prevention of psychiatric disorders. Since 1987, NARSAD has distributed more than $256 million in grants to over 2,900 scientists at over 440 universities, medical centers and research institutes in the United States and 28 other countries. To date, the organization has contributed more than $3 million via 49 grants to 45 researchers affiliated with Mount Sinai.

About The Mount Sinai Medical Center

The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Established in 1968, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of few medical schools embedded in a hospital in the United States. It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 15 institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institute of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report. The school received the 2009 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. In 2009, U.S. News & World Report ranked The Mount Sinai Hospital among the nation’s top 20 hospitals based on reputation, patient safety, and other patient-care factors. Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 530,000 outpatient visits took place.